As is well known, meat keepers are used in refrigerators to preserve meat at an optimum temperature which is generally 5.degree.-8.degree. F. cooler than the rest of the refrigerated food compartment. More specifically, meat keepers preferably maintain meat at a temperature just slightly above the freezing point of water. One common embodiment for a meat keeper is defined by a meat container having an outer sleeve or sheath in which the container is slidably mounted. Chilled air at the appropriate temperature is directed into the sleeve from a conduit coupled to a cold air duct behind the rear wall of the refrigerated food compartment. As a result, the meat in the container is kept at a temperature below the general temperature of the refrigerated food compartment. Some of the chilled air in the sleeve may be directed into the meat container but it should be a small percentage and preferably adjustable because too much chilled air passing over the meat tends to dehydrate it while too little chilled air tends to make it slimy.
Commonly, refrigerators have reversible doors so that they can be installed to open from either the right or left side so as to provide flexibility for different kitchen floor plans. Generally, it is preferable that a meat keeper be mounted on the opposite side from the door hinges so as to simplify access to the meat keeper. For example, when the meat keeper is mounted on the opposite side from the door, the door doesn't have to be all the way open to pull the meat keeper out. Accordingly, if the door is reversed from one side to the other, it is also desirable to reverse the meat keeper so that it is still opposite the door hinges. One prior art approach to providing a reversible meat keeper was to provide a single port in the center of the back wall of the refrigerated food compartment and to couple a jointed arm conduit to it. The conduit could be rotated to either the left or the right depending on where the meat keeper was mounted. Such apparatus, however, was difficult to align during a reversing procedure and the jointed arm encumbered the central rear portion of the refrigerated food compartment.